Strand handling apparatus



STRAND HANDLING APPARATUS Filed July 19, 1934 By E E NEWTON 4/ ATTORNEY Patented July 21, 1936 UNITED STATES 2,048,511 STRAND HANDLING APPARATUS Edwin E. Newton, Montreal, Quebec, Canada,

assignor to Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application July 19, 1934, Serial No. 735,915

6 Claims.

This invention relates to strand handling apparatus and more particularly to apparatus for unwinding or removing strand material from a stationary spool, reel or the like.

In removing strands wound on a stationary reel or the like, and particularly the finer grades of wire, there are several desiderata to be considered. It is desirable to have a guide rotating about the body of strand to carry the strand ofi substantially in the plane of the winding thereof or at least at an acute angle to that plane so that the strand may not be dragged harshly across neighboring coils, and so that the strand if more or less buried betwen neighboring coils may be easily released therefrom. It is further desirable that means be provided to maintain a constant but adjustable resistance to the longitudinal motion of the strand in order to impose light and adjustable tension on the strand. It is also desirable that the guiding means used to lead the strand through the apparatus should afford as little friction as possible to the movement of the strand therethrough.

An object of the present invention is to provide a strand handling apparatus of improved simplicity of construction and operation and controllability of action for unwinding or removing a strand from a stationary sup ly thereof wound on a reel, spool, cop, or the like.

Other objects and features of the invention will appear from the following detailed description of one embodiment thereof taken in connection with the accompanying drawing in which the same reference numerals are applied to identical parts in the several figures and in which Fig. 1 is a broken view in front elevation of an apparatus embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a broken view of the top portion thereof in right hand side elevation;

Fig. 3 is a broken partial view thereof in plan on the line 33 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 4 is a broken enlarged radial section of the tensioning wheel to show an alternatively added friction lining for the groove thereof.

In the embodiment of the invention herein disclosed a vertical pillar or support 22 having its upper part bent horizontally forward is rigidly mounted on a base 9. A conventional reel or spool 8 stands on the base 9 and contains wound thereon a supply of strand 1 which is to be unwound or taken 01f from the reel by a rotary element 45 belonging to some other apparatus not shown and whose purpose and function are no part of this invention, except that it serves to advance the strand 1 longitudinally thereof through the apparatus. 7 p

A cylindrical plug ID of woodor other appropriate material is inserted into the cylindrical axial bore of the reel 8 and is frictiona'lly held 5. in position by one or more round headed spring pressed plugs ll mounted in appropriateradial bores in the plug [0 and bearing against the inner wall of the reel.- The plug Ill is axially bored toreceive a'vertical shaft l2 mounted for, free 10 rotation therein. The bottom end of the shaft is threaded to receivea pair of nuts'l8 screwed thereon. A spiral compression spring I! surrounds the shaft, resting at its lower ends against the nuts 3 or against an interposed washer. 46, and at its upper end against a washer is which in turn bears against an under surface ofthe plug l0. On the upper end of the shaft is a washer l5 resting on the'top surface of the plug l0 and supporting a collar integral with-or rigidly secured to the shaft. e

By adjustment of the nuts l8 on the shaft l2 the frictional resistance of the latter to turning, may be adjustably varied. 7 r l I A horizontally extending arm I3 is rigidly mounted in the top of the shaft;|2 and extends out beyond the periphery of the 'upper spool head and then downwardly to a point opposite the. body of strand to be unwound where'it is formed with a strand guide proper 14 consisting. of one and a half or more spiral turns of the end of the arm.

The horizontally extending upper end of the pillar 22 is formed with an axial threaded bore which receives a correspondingly threaded shaft 2| having a knurled head 21 by which the shaft 2i may be screwed into and out of the. bore for adjustment therein. A jam screw 29 is provided to lock the shaft 2| in its adjusted position. A sheave 20 having a peripheral groove 48 is mounted to rotate freely on the shaft 2|.

A disk 25 is mounted rigidly on the extremity of the support 22 and carries a friction pad 24 of felt or other approved material secured thereto. The sheave 20 is adjustably pressed against the friction pad 24 by a compression spring 23 surrounding the shaft 2| and bearing. at one end against the head 21 and at the other end against a washer 26 which bears in turn against the sheave.

It may further be preferable in some instances 50 to provide the groove 48 with a lining of soft rubber, leather or other analogous friction promoting material to provide improved traction of the sheave 29 on a strand 1 passing thereover.

A u 0 c l ar 30 is rotatably mounted on the support 22 and is adjustably locked thereto by a 'set screw 34. "The collar is provided with two radially extending arms 3| and 32.' The arm 3|, near its outer extremity, has a transverse perforation in which is rotatably positioned a cross stud 36'adjustablyhe1d'in place by a jam screw 38 mounted inthe arm 3|. 3.151

The outer portionrof {the stud 361s perforated transversely to receive and hold the small end of 7 a funnel'shaped strand guide 40 preferably of; 'glass, glazed ceramic or vitrified material, or other smooth, hard and relatively?Jfiictionless material, preferably non-metallia The arm 32 is similarlyprovided with, an ad justable transversely positioned stud1'31 locked in place byea screw 38. Instead of a bell shaped guide however, the stud 21 supports a tubular [guide II of material, analogous to thematerial I ofthe bell'guidelll. a 'In operation, a strand] is drawn from the reel 8, threaded 'through the guide lt and'th'esguide;

40, wound'as many times*a roundthesheave 20 as may be'advisable in any given case, threaded through the guide M and carried to; some propelllng. device which is tof draw the strand'ofif' for userel'sewherel i The nuts l 8 are'ordlnarily adjusted to afford just suflicient friction at 46" and!" 'to'keep the guide 14 from 'overrunning'underits' own m0-' mentumin case the speed or operation slackens for any reason;

The tension; inthe-strand occasioned by re-: 1 sistance to the pull of the element 45, is -adjust- V able toan'y'desired value within a wide range by adjustment of the tension of the spring; r n

It'isnot intended'ordinarily that the strand 1 shall slip over the sheave Z0, although this may be desirable in some cases where an unusu'ally' high' te'nsio'n in the strand is required; Gener ally, however, the requisite 'mcpi'qn is intended to ,be between the sheave 'lq-andth' padand 'to be adjustably modifiabl'e-byfmeans o'ffthe head 21.

4 sheave 20; a 4

V The embodiment (if the lnVEIitiOIl hereindis- 5 Both friction and weai ih thez'g'piaesn and 4: is minimized by making them o'f glass or analogo'us'v material, thus further cdncentrating sub Irictional effect and drag" on the V stantially' all closed is merely illustrative and'mayrb'e modified 'tion as pointed out in r and departed from in many ways; without departing from the spirit and scope of the inven,-'

andlimited only by the appendedclaims.

' a What is claimed is: V V r 1. In a strand handling apparatus, strand con-j, trol means comprising a sheave, a pivotably adjustable membe r coaxial therewith and having a' radially disposed arm thereon, and a pivotably, adjustable strand guidemember on the arm.

2. In a strand handling apparatus, strand controlmeanslcomprisinga sheave, a pivotably adjustable member, coaxial therewith andhaving ftwo radially disposed 'arms'thereon, 'a pivotably adjustable strand approach guide member on one 'arm, and a pivotably' adjustable strand with drawal'guide member on the other arm. 7

3. Ina strand handling apparatus, strand control means comprising a sheave, adjustable brake means for the sheave, apivotably adjustable m'eihber coaxial therewith and havingxa radially disposed 'arm'ther'eon," and; a 'pivotably, adjusti able strand guide member on the arm. a a

4. In a strand handling apparatus, strand -con-' trolm'eans comprising a sheave, adjustable brake means for the sheave, a pivotably adjustable member 'coaxialtherewitli and having two radi'-' ally disposed arms thereon,a 'pivotabl'y adjustable strand'approach guidemember on one arm," and a pivotably adjustable strand withdrawal guide member'onth'e'other'arm. a

, 5.In afstrand handlingapparatus, strandcoh trol means 'c'omprising a sheave provided with-a lining of friction promoting materialiin'the groove thereof, "adjustable brake means forthe sheave, a

pivotably adjustable member coaxial. therewith and having a radially disposed farm thereon, and a pivotably adjustable strand guide :member onthe arm.

' 6. In a strand handlingapp'aratus; strandc'o na trol means "comprising a sheave provided with a, linin'gof frictionpromoting material in the groove" thereof, adjustable brake means forthesheava'apivotably adjustable member 3 coaxial therewith and having two' radially disposed arms thereon;

a "pivotably adjustable st'randapproach guide: member on one arm, and a pivotably adjustables'tran-d withdrawal guide'member on the other arm r "I EDWIN E.NEWTON:

or I 

